Memphis City Council Meeting on Data Center Restrictions Erupts in Chaos

A meeting of the Memphis City Council descended into disorder on Tuesday as members decided to delay any action on proposed restrictions for data centers.

The decision to postpone a vote on a data center moratorium led to uproar, as reported by The Commercial Appeal. Audience members expressed their dissatisfaction by booing and standing up. Following this, several council members exited the chamber, effectively ending the meeting prematurely.

An altercation also erupted in the City Hall lobby, though the specific cause of the fight remains unknown, according to WREG. Videos shared online captured the confrontation, with punches exchanged and someone shouting the word “sellout.”

“This is the scene after they voted to push the data center moratorium down the line,” wrote Annie Goldman, a reporter from The Commercial Appeal, on X. “Council members being ushered out, heavy police presence, and advocates are not happy.”

The heated discussions over data center restrictions arise after Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI constructed two hyperscale data centers in the Memphis neighborhoods of Boxtown and Whitehaven.

Days before the meeting, the activist group Indivisible Memphis posted on Instagram, expressing: “Memphis belongs to Memphis — not Elon Musk.”

Further updates on this developing story will follow.